India’s wearable device market experienced a significant decline in the first half of 2025, with shipments dropping by 6.3% year-over-year (YoY) to 51.6 million units, according to a recent IDC India report.
The second quarter of the year continued this downward trajectory, marking the fifth consecutive quarterly decline with 26.7 million units shipped, a 9.4% YoY decrease. Despite the lower volumes, the average selling price (ASP) for wearables saw a slight increase to $19.2 in Q2, while the H1 ASP remained at $18.7.
Smartwatches Drive Market Decline
The smartwatch segment was the primary factor in the market’s contraction, as shipments fell by 28.4% YoY to 6.6 million units in Q2 2025. This marked the sixth straight quarter of decline for smartwatches. Consequently, their share of the overall wearables market decreased from 31.5% to 24.9%.
Shipments of advanced smartwatch models were particularly impacted, dropping 39.5% YoY and reducing their market share from 2.5% to 2.1%. The slowdown is attributed to a combination of market saturation and weakened consumer demand for entry-level models following a period of explosive growth. However, the ASP for smartwatches did rise by 5.1% YoY to $21.7.
Earwear Segment Shows Mixed Performance
The earwear category, which includes TWS and neckbands, shipped 19.9 million units in Q2, a marginal 1.2% YoY decline. Truly Wireless Stereo (TWS) devices held a commanding 71.2% market share, though their shipments also experienced a slight 1.2% YoY drop.
In contrast, neckband-style earwear saw a more significant 16.1% YoY decrease. A notable exception was the over-the-ear headphone segment, which experienced a remarkable surge of 97.4% YoY, reaching 1.5 million units. The ASP for the earwear segment increased by 1.1% YoY to $17.4.
Key Vendor and Channel Insights
boAt (Imagine Marketing) maintained its market leadership, increasing its overall share from 26.7% to 28% YoY. Within the TWS category, boAt led with a 31.9% share, followed by Boult at 14.9%. boAt also showed impressive growth in the over-the-ear segment, with a 198.4% YoY increase, giving it a 44.4% market share.
In the smartwatch category, Noise led with a 30.9% market share, while boAt was second at 13.7%. Xiaomi posted the highest YoY growth at 145.5%.
Sales through online channels declined 13.8% YoY, while offline shipments fell 1.8%. The online share of the market decreased from 63.4% to 60.3%, primarily due to a steep 37.2% YoY drop in online smartwatch shipments. In contrast, while online earwear shipments declined, offline earwear sales grew by 4.4%.
Emerging Categories
The report highlighted growth in smaller, emerging categories. Smart Rings recovered from a previous decline, growing 2.8% YoY to 75,000 units. Shipments of Smart Glasses jumped significantly to 50,000 units from 4,000 a year ago, driven by new product launches. Smart Wristbands also saw a substantial increase, growing 118.5% YoY to 83,000 units, with the Samsung Galaxy Fit3 accounting for the majority of shipments in this category.
Future Outlook
Anand Priya Singh, an analyst at IDC India, noted that brands will likely focus on mid-premium smartwatches featuring health sensors, NFC support, and AI capabilities. He also suggested that white-label smartwatches may reappear in offline retail through bundled offers.
Vikas Sharma, another IDC India analyst, highlighted that future earwear will emphasize AI-enhanced sound, advanced noise cancellation, and seamless cross-device switching.
Despite ongoing innovation, IDC projects only low single-digit growth for the earwear segment in 2025 due to market maturity and heightened competition.
Speaking on the performance, Amit Khatri, Co-founder of Noise, said:
The smartwatch market is currently undergoing a recalibration phase with a rise in quality-conscious consumers. In recent years, the category explored unprecedented price points, which spurred a surge in demand. Now, as the market matures, consumers are increasingly gravitating towards brands that offer consistent value. For four years, we’ve not only led the category but expanded our lead, growing our market share even as the industry evolves, staying committed to innovation, quality, and trust.
At Noise, we focus on putting the customer first—this isn’t about chasing every spike, but about building long-term trust, delivering real value, and setting the benchmark for what a smartwatch should be. Trust is built through consistency and we’ve established it with every product, witnessing more committed buyers who are upgrading for performance and features. We’re committed to developing products that not only meet today’s needs but also continue to exceed expectations over time.